By Bob Howell – WSFA12 New Anchor –  Montgomery, AL

An attorney representing economic development in Houston County and  the developer of Country Crossing entertainment venue react to Federal Judge Myron Thompson’s refusal to hear a request for a restraining order to stop Illegal Gambling Task Force raid.  Here’s the full statement.

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Statement from Country Crossing Regarding Federal Ruling – February 1, 2010 

Today, Judge Thompson asked both parties to resolve their issues in a state court declaratory action. This is a process that we have already begun, and we expect that the state court will hold that our bingo operations are legal and in full compliance with the law. It is clear that the federal judge wants the parties to resolve their dispute in state court before seeking relief in federal court.  

It remains to be seen whether Mr. Tyson will participate in the civil declaratory judgment action, notwithstanding the federal court’s admonition that he do so. We agree that these issues should be decided without the drama that the task force has engaged in so far, and we look forward to the resolution of this matter in the orderly process that the federal judge suggests. 

We note that the federal judge acknowledged that our constitutional entitlement to relief is not clear on the current record, which clearly does not discount the possibility that such relief may be appropriate in the future. 

We believe that if Mr. Tyson does not follow the federal judge’s instructions to resolve this matter orderly, we may be asking the federal judge for relief again in the future – particularly if our constitutional rights cannot be safeguarded in state court. But, we fully intend to honor the federal judge’s request that we first exhaust all attempts to resolve this matter in state court.

Will Matthews – Attorney,  Houston Economic Development Association

Ronnie Gilley – Developer, Country Crossing

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